Before Dawn Breaks
by Eternal Nocturne
Summary: Zelda and Link both share a secret love life, always coming for each other when the moon is at its fullest. However, when Zelda's father finds out about her life with a mere commoner, what both of them have always dreaded might suffice... Link x Zelda.


_**A/N: Let me just say that the King of Hyrule, as I imagine him, isn't really MEAN as he is told in this story. I just made him mean 'cause it would fit the story better.**_

_**And this could take place in either the Twilight Princess world or the Ocarina of Time one. Personally, I guess that Twilight Princess would be the better choice out of the two just because I like TP better…**_

_**Oh, and plus, this story is told from both Zelda's and Link's POV. It starts out with Zelda, and then switches to Link, then back to Zelda, then back to Link. Just thought I should make that clear.**_

_**Reviews are greatly appreciated, and yes, I know I called Link the 'Hero of Time,' but that's still what I'd like to call him in Twilight Princess!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: "The Legend of Zelda" and all rights, including the copyrights of the games, scenario, music and program, reserved by Nintendo. TM and (r) are trademarks of Nintendo. All rights reserved.**_

_**-Before Dawn Breaks-**_

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* * *

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As early as when the sun's light was dawning upon me, I had awoken in worry of what fate I will be cursed to in the near future. Yet, the familiar thump that echoed in my ears, much like he sound of an eternal lull, eased my worries. And for that moment, I was washed away by its light and soothing reverberation, thinking of nothing except the calm in my mind, even though, in all of my drowsiness, I had yet to realize what that very rhythm was.

I breathed inwardly, wrapping my arms around whatever object I had been hugging the past night, since my currently clouded mentality disabled me into identifying what it was. But, oh, it was warm, and its touch was soft, like that of a thousand luxurious feathers rubbing against my skin…

And for the following minutes, or so it seemed, I had been lost in that very crooning and warmth, yet I did not even bring up the question to my mind of what it even _was_…

But when I did, my comfort drifted away almost immediately.

I opened my blue eyes both reluctantly and leisurely; I was afraid at what I might've seen if I had opened them too quickly. And, to my honest relief, what I saw before me was not what I had feared— only the soft whistling of grass and the dawning sky greeted me in my wake.

But the cloud in my conscious had lifted, and it was at this moment was I finally able to recognize what my arms had been swathed lovingly around.

The soft weaves of his emerald-green tunic was what I had felt tenderly brush over my gloved fingers. His warmth was what had brang me closer to his grasp. And that gentle melody—and to me, a hymn, in its own way—was his heartbeat.

And I had realized that I had been nestled within his chest, my right ear right above his heart as I had slept the night away. His heartbeat was my lullaby—it's no wonder why I had slept so well!

I sighed inwardly as a smile emerged from my lips. It didn't stay there long, however; an ugly frown had soon replaced it. In my desperation to acquire sudden comfort, I wrapped my arms around him even more, entangling his waistline. It was only because of the large tree he was leaning against that I wasn't able to elevate my arms to a higher level on him.

Soon, I knew that I had to leave him, my one and only true love. I had to face my destiny for this day; I could not run from it, or my consequences will turn out even viler than what has already sufficed. With one last, long, squeeze around him, I carefully unengaged my arms from his waist and pulled myself slowly away from his sleeping form. And although his warmth was ever so comforting to my soul, I had to refrain from answering its plead for me; I knew that I had to go. My father would be entirely and completely displeased with my behavior.

And so, I kept my level with him, my aquamarine eyes staring right into his closed ones, although, in my mind, I saw the fierce, yet calm, sapphire eyes of his heart. I placed a light kiss on his lips and silently whispered so that not even the wind itself could hear me,

"_Link… We'll meet again._"

Such a pity that he was still in his slumber; I had hoped that when the day had arisen, we could share a few words before I had to depart from one of our rare times together. Because I was the Princess of Hyrule, and he was the Hero, people had never ceased to bother us in our daily lives, and therefore, the times we shared together were, to put it simply, intermittent. It pained ourselves so—as any fool could see that we were deeply in love—yet my father insists on me staying within my castle walls, therefore, forbidding me from meeting eyes with Link.

His reason for this is certainly not indistinct; it's as clear as day what my father thinks of my love.

_He's just a __**commoner**__! _he had spat at me. _You are a __**princess**__, Zelda! Princesses have better things to do than to laze away their days with commoners!_

My father would never understand the feelings of sheer love I had for him. So how could I tell him? It is, in his eyes, abnormal. He has never heard of one with royal blood loving one with 'dirtied blood.'

And even if I had reminded him time and again that Link was the Hero of Time, the one chosen by the Goddesses themselves, and the one who had saved his kingdom from destruction through agonizing battles and mental discomfort, he had yet to open his mind to my words.

So Link had climbed through my window one morning (he never uses the door) after hearing the news about my prohibition from him, he had said that every night, when the moon is full and the world is still, he would come and take me away from my pallid walls of concealment that others call the 'castle.' And although he did not promise me that he would come _every _full moon, he had bowed down to me in that very spot near my window, left hand over his heart, and said that he would always be there for me… That he would, at least, try to come. And I know that _Link _would never lie to me or crush a promise. His heart would not allow him.

And that it had been for many months in a row. Every night, when the moon was at its fullest, my window had always been open in hopes that he would come. What strength and valor he had possessed to sneak past all of my guards and scale the walls of the castle just to take me away and spend time together! I had always been in bed when he came, only pretending to be at sleep. However, when I heard that familiar light tapping at my window, I knew it was him, and a wide smile, as big as the sunniest of sunny days, flowed over my face. I would run into his arms and hug him, all the while remembering to be as silent as could be through the fear of someone finding out our secret nighttime-only romance.

All had gone well every time we had done this; Link would always bring me back to the castle before daybreak so that my father would not suspect that we had been gone. Of course, he had always been wondering what the reason was behind my sleepiness the following day, but I had constantly responded that I had a bad night. Of course, it was a lie, yet I felt no guilt. Being with Link made both of us tremendously contented. However, it was this time that we both had made a mistake in our visit.

I could not resist, this time, and neither could he. We had played together until the moon shone no more, the stars ceased their eternal dancing in our skies, and our energy diminished and what was left of us that night were shadows of joy. We were both filled with drowsiness and both plummeted into slumber within each other's embrace as the moon itself began to doze away and the black sky that marked my freedom vanished.

And so, here I am, running desperately across Hyrule Field, hoping that my father had not yet awoken to find me not in my chambers, asleep, like I should've been.

I had never ran so quickly as I could in a dress before. Its edges fluttered with the wind that trailed behind me as vehemently as I had ever encountered. My boots landed on the ground for but a second before I took my next step towards the castle. Luckily, the sun had barely risen. I might make it.

But—oh! I had forgotten. Castle Town was blocking my way between me and Hyrule Castle. How could I get past all of the citizens without causing commotion? I sighed, and simply took the chance.

I draped my black cloak—the one that I had always brought with me during my times with Link—over my head so that any of the people would not suspect me as their princess; only a running madwoman who has desperate to get to their destination. So I bolted straight ahead, into what I thought was my doom…

Yet, to my surprise and fortune, there were but a few people in the Town. The day was still much too early for them. I could only wish the same for my father.

I panted heavily, I ran even faster as the sight of Hyrule Castle towered above me. I didn't take the main entrance, however, that would've been an extremely foolish choice. Instead, I jumped over the pathway and ran through the gardens. I stopped at the sight of my window and finally ceased my frantic run. I took only a few seconds to catch my breath before I cast a spell—Farore's Wind, one of the three legendary magics of the Goddesses—and safely teleported myself into my bedroom. Hastily, I shut the window down and plopped onto my cottony bed, draping my covers over me and closing my eyes. I had almost forgotten to take my cloak off of me before my father had stormed into the room.

"_Zelda!_" he boomed, causing me to wince. I whimpered silently, praying that he had not found out about Link and I. Cautiously, I sat upright in my bed.

"Y-Yes?" I managed to choke out. My fingers grasped my sparkling white covers as I brang it to my mouth. I had a feeling that he _knew_.

"_Where _have you _been?_" he bellowed. His strong voice shook the room. I covered myself up with my blankets even more, and only through the top of my eyes could I detect my father, who was a blur of red and white colors.

"W-What do you mean, Father?" I questioned him.

"Don't act like you're a fool, Zelda!" my father responded. "You _know _what I'm talking about! You snuck out of the castle, didn't you? There wasn't a trace of you last night!"

I gulped before replying,

"I… I…"

"I know why you did it!" he somewhat interrupted me, stepping closer to my bed. He looked straight into my eyes, and I couldn't help but cower at his stare. Then he leaned down, leveling with me, and said, in a much lower tone, yet still keeping the strictness of himself, "_It was that __**commoner**__, wasn't it? WASN'T IT?_"

I let out a small cry as I turned away from him. He _knew_. Our secret was a secret no more. We could never see each other again.

I could still feel his eyes looking at me, even if I had still been behind the covers, pondering about what feeble comeback I should reply to him with. There was a long, uneasy silence, and I dared not to drop my covers in fear of his face.

Hours seemed to have passed between us, yet it had, in reality, only been a few minutes. My father insisted on staying there, eyes plastered onto my cowardice form beneath the covers. It could have been said that I had expected this to happen, but I was certainly _not_ expecting what he had followed to say.

"Zelda… That commoner is ruining your life!" he bellowed, although his tone was slightly less thunderous this time. "You have been escaping from your duties _constantly_, all because of _him_! Do you not realize? You daydream about him day after day; I am _sick of it_!" He made a soft growling sound before continuing, "He is born of filthy blood, Zelda! You know this, yet you never cease your actions of affection! What would the people of your kingdom think if they had found out that their princess, their _lovely _princess, had fallen in love with a peasant? A commoner?"

"…Is that how you talk about your people, father?" I stifled a phrase. "Commoners and people with dirtied blood?"

My father let out a surprised cry before slowly narrowing his eyes at me. Immediately, I rendered myself as foolish, and mentally took back my sentence after I had realized my mistake of saying such a disrespectful phrase, although I knew that it did no good whether or not I took it back.

My father's face reddened like a plump, scarlet tomato, and I felt absolute alarm bubble up inside me. My covers once again cloaked my face as I awaited my punishment. Because who in Hyrule would _ever _have the nerve to speak to their King in such a manner as I did?

The next thing I knew, I could hear my father's bellowing voice yell,

"Get that _filthy boy _up to the Castle _immediately_!"

And I knew, deep in my soul, that something terrible was about to happen.

* * *

The first thing that I had realized when I had awakened was that Zelda was missing.

And the second thing I had realized shot through me like an arrow through the heart.

Zelda and I stayed up until dawn.

That wasn't good.

I had still been leaning my back against the tree that we were sleeping together by that night. And, well, the last thing I had remembered was that she was snuggling against my chest in this really affectionate way—

But let's not get too detailed.

It was really nice, though. There was no one around to bother us. The only thing that kept our attention up was time.

But… I think that this time around, time got the better of us. We had stayed together for too long. Zelda was supposed to return to her castle before dawn breaks, but I guess we just got too carried away. We can't see each other whenever we feel like it, you know, although both of us dream and wish for it to be that way. And the reason it can't be is because of the King of Hyrule himself.

Zelda's father had always loathed me. We both could see it in his eyes. Every time I would walk past him—which wasn't a lot, he always sent an icy glare in my direction.

Zelda and I could never be together so long as her father hated me. He would never allow her to exit the castle walls and roam the land as freely and blissfully as I could. So Zelda and I had secretly made up a plan to meet with each other every full moon and night and roam the Field, as long as I would return her to the Castle before sunrise.

But like I said, I messed up this time.

The sun was up in the sky now; dawn had long past. I got up and stretched my arms, but immediately, I felt guilt within me. I knew for sure that Zelda's in big trouble right now, and I couldn't help but feel that it was my own fault. I was supposed to get her back…

Sighing, I looked towards the direction of Hyrule Castle. It wasn't hard to spot; it's like a gigantic Silver Rupee in a pile of coal. The Castle, with all of its grandeur and splendor, wasn't much different.

But the Castle today didn't seem like a Silver Rupee. It was a solemn reminder of the mistake I had done. I placed my gloved hand upon the rugged, old bark of the tree and stared at the Castle for a few moments before setting off.

I know I had done wrong, but there was no way that I could do anything to help her now. The moment I set foot within the castle walls, I'd be immediately gored to death by the Royal Family's soldiers' spears—but only if they're fit enough to call 'soldiers,' anyway.

As I was walking, I gazed up upon the sky. The clouds were beginning to cover the sun and all of its radiance. Strange; just a moment ago, the sky was as clear as water.

And, suddenly, I felt a familiar feeling again. A feeling I knew all too well.

The feeling of _danger _creeping up on me.

I had traveled Hyrule for many years and battled countless foes, that of which had all fell beneath my blade. I was called the legendary Hero of Time; the one Chosen by the Goddesses; the one to slay the Dark Lord, Ganondorf. I had succeeded, but after enduring many hardships, I had known to always stay alert of one's surroundings—you'd never know what moment might be your last.

I spun around quickly, drawing my blade. But since I had to return the Master Sword to its pedestal, I now had a normal sword, even though it was… kinda expensive.

I looked around, ears pricked for any sign of danger advancing towards me, but I could detect none. All that I saw moving were the blades of grass swaying smoothly alongside with the fresh breeze.

I sheathed my sword, but didn't let my guard down. That feeling of danger still resided within me.

All the while, Zelda was all that was on my mind. I could never stop wondering what became of her. And I was worried if I could ever see her again.

_But then, _I thought somberly, _if her father found out, what are the chances of that?_

I shook my head. I was filled with courage—I'd find some way to meet up with her again. We couldn't have it any other way; we couldn't live without each other. And having to only see one another once a month was torture enough for us already.

Just as that thought ended, that feeling bubbled up even stronger again. I turned around again and looked around cautiously for any signs of a threat.

Still, nothing was there to harm me.

I breathed in deeply, letting cool, fresh air enter my lungs, and then out again, before starting to continue walking.

But it was then that I heard a yell:

"There! I see him!"

Many other war cries followed.

And, although it was faint, I could still recognize that it was the voice of a Hyrulean soldier, the ones protecting the Royal Family. Then, for the third time, I turned around, only to be greeted with a horde of armed soldiers all running violently towards my direction.

I had a feeling—well, more of a feeling, actually; it was like a very strong assumption—that it had to do with my mistake. And now they were coming for me.

So I ran.

I darted towards the forest; I had been walking alongside the outskirts of it, anyway. This forest had no name, but any forest would hide me well from the soldiers, who couldn't detect a single subtle thing. My emerald-shaded tunic would conceal me well enough, also.

Hopefully.

I skimmed past the trees that towered above my head and arrowed past various obstacles in my way—rocks, branches, and vines. Unlike the soldiers of Hyrule, I had been given enough sheer experience in forests to jump past anything in my way. Besides, they were burdened with much more heavy armor than I did. All I had was a sword and a shield, both of which I had been long accustomed to carrying on my back.

I had never stopped running, and I was certain that I had lost them, until another soldier's voice called out,

"I found him! Get him!"

I skidded to a stop. There was some coming from the _other _direction, too! Annoyed, I bolted towards my left. Hopefully, there weren't any of the soldiers to be waiting for me there, either.

I guess that I was wrong.

They were there, staring at me with violent faces, like the King himself had ordered for them to take upon the very look that he gave me. I halted abruptly and gasped, staring at them in return, but with a different expression. I took a few steps back as they advanced toward me, spears gripped tightly between their pale-gloved hands and directed at my chest.

But this time, I didn't bother to draw my sword. I had no chance. These were _people_. I don't kill people. And I couldn't run past them, either. There were too many.

In a few seconds, more soldiers came and blocked the path behind me. Now all of the soldiers were circled around me while I stood there, waiting for them to make any sort of movement. Maybe they were waiting for _me _to pull off some sort of astonishing stunt like I have during my adventures. But I knew that I couldn't. Not this time.

So, instead, I fell to my knees in the plant-rich soil and glared up at them with my deep, blue eyes. I whispered,

"_Do whatever._"

And so, obviously taking that as an unexpected surrender from the great Hero of Time, they stepped towards me, slowly at first, and brought out some sturdy chains. I noticed that some of them were shaking constantly, like they were afraid that I might make a move and cut them to bits with my sword. They're seen my swordsmanship; it's no surprise that some of them are frightened of coming close to me as my enemy.

Soon, cold steel chain links were snapped on my wrists, and I was dragged along with the army back towards the Castle.

_Guess I'm gonna see Zelda sooner than I thought_.

I looked up into the sky, and realized that the clouds now completely shrouded the once-shining sun in a somber veil that took shape of a shadow-like, grey blanket.

That feeling of danger inside of me was even stronger than before now.

* * *

I cried.

What else could I possibly do?

Father…

He had sentenced Link to death.

All because of what had happened.

But he was King. He could do whatever he pleases.

"That _dirty, __**rotten**__ boy _is sentenced to **death**!" he had boomed. "He doesn't deserve you, Zelda! And sneaking into the castle without permission! How do you know if he's just doing this for himself? That one day he'll just turn his back on you?"

He had left after that, but his words still echoed in my mind. I was both infuriated and miserable at the same time. Father had called Link, my love, so many things that angered me down to my very soul. But I was sad—very, extremely, sad—because he had also said that Link is to be killed.

Today.

I lay on my plush, soft pillow, crying my heart out. Link was all that was left for me in my life, and now my cruel father was taking him away, too. My mother had passed away when I was a mere child of the age of three—but I still loved her dearly. That had been the first thing that had been mercilessly taken away from me. And then, it was my simple happiness: the field of grandiose that I could never roam, the townspeople that I could never talk to, and now, my one and only love.

_Link…_

I screamed while I also cried. My sadness was overwhelming, and I felt like I could do absolutely _nothing _to cease its coming. I could not even escape the confines of my chamber; highly-trained soldiers were blocking the outside of the door to block my meager attempts of breaking out.

I continued to cry, and I could only think about all of the times Link and I had shared together before this dreadful day.

He had always cared for me when no one else would…

He would tell me stories of Hyrule, my own kingdom, and how he had conquered some of the monsters infesting it.

He would tell me of the townspeople and their lives.

He had always given me love that no one else could possibly rival. My father's so-called 'love' was nothing.

But now he was to be killed.

And in-between my ceaseless sobbing, I could barely make out the words coming from downstairs,

"My king! He has arrived!"

I screamed, rushing towards the door and banging upon it with all of my might.

* * *

I was greeted coldly. Everyone around me gave me grave stares, as if they were trying to kill my soul. I was dragged into the Castle like a dog; they threw me into the throne room forcefully as I fought back, straining my muscles against the chains, but with no prevail of breaking free of their grasp. It took more than a few soldiers to hold me back.

Luckily, they had dragged me into the castle before it had started to pour cold rain upon the land. The clouds that had covered the sky gave me their tears, as if they knew what was about to happen.

I couldn't ignore that dreaded feeling of danger swirling around—practically _dancing_—inside of me. I struggled in their grasp, I yelled, I screamed, I tugged back against them, but all in vain. They heaved me down into the King's throne room vehemently, chains in hand.

All this time, my eyes had been closed, but I had soon opened them, only to be greeted in the eyes of the King himself, an evil smirk on his lips.

This wasn't good.

But soon, I noticed Zelda, my darling Zelda, to his left, crying her eyes out as two soldiers held her back against the throne she was seated in.

"_Link!_" she screamed. Her voice ran through my heart as a piercing blow, and I winced. It was so agonizing, hearing her like this. Yet I could do nothing.

And suddenly, a horde of questions ran through my mind:

What's wrong with Zelda? Why am I here? _What was going on?_

I looked around. People were around me; some were crying, some were glaring at me with cold eyes. I tried not to pay any attention.

Suddenly, everyone started to bow down, and I gazed my direction back up at the King. He had stood up.

"_Link,_" he bellowed, saying my name as if it were poison to his tongue. I could only stare up at him in shock of what he was about to do with me. Zelda was still screaming.

"You have done a horrible crime," he continued. "One that results in the penalty of death."

Gasps were heard from the crowd around us. Zelda screamed louder than ever. I sat there, filled with terror and dread.

_Death? All because of __**that**__ mistake…?_

And yet, I still didn't quite fully understand what was happening… It was all too fast.

"No! Please, Father! _I beg you, please don't!_" Zelda yelled, tears filling her eyes.

"Silence, daughter!" he shushed. Zelda stopped yelling for about two seconds before screaming again. I breathed heavily as I watched her suffer. I could feel my heart thumping inside my chest with dread; every second more that I stayed in this room made its beat louder… And louder…

"Let's make this as _painful _as possible," the King snickered. "A poison arrow through his heart."

I gasped, and Zelda continued screaming. It seemed like the soldiers were having a hard time holding her back.

My ears lowered as I watched as a soldier came forth with a bow and arrow dipped with a deadly poison. The soldiers holding me back before shook me to my knees, and they held my arms sturdily. My chest was exposed to the open, as if it were a target to the arrow.

Time seemed to move slowly now.

Death was mere seconds away.

Zelda was crying her eyes out.

I could do nothing.

Nothing at all.

He cocked the arrow, and it flew across the room, piercing me in my heart. I screamed in agony, and the chains were now loose as the soldiers let go. I felt the poison rush through me in my last few moments alive, and I fell to the floor, my crimson blood staining the sapphire carpet. I gasped for air; my screams fell over Zelda's.

I still had enough energy to look up at her, though…

She had broken free of the soldiers' grasp.

She was running towards me… Towards me…

She was crying… She held me…

"Link!" she sobbed, brushing her hands over my bloodied chest. I forced a weak smile.

"Zelda…" I tried not to cough up any blood at her. The poison was so deadly…

"Link… I… Love you… Please… Don't… Go…"

"Z… Zel…"

I couldn't get any further than that, however…

My world was black…

I couldn't breathe; blood was filling my throat…

Zelda's sparkling blue eyes were the last thing I saw before I was dead…

Dead…

_Dead…_

_

* * *

_

_**-**__**The Eternal Nocturne**__**-**_


End file.
